Knowledge Graph Case Study: How We Got Our Client Featured (2026)

Getting your brand into Google's Knowledge Graph isn't luck—it's strategy. When Meridian Analytics, a B2B data visualization SaaS company, came to us in early 2025, they had strong product-market fit but zero presence in Google's entity database. Six months later, their branded searches displayed a full Knowledge Panel with company information, leadership details, and social profiles.

This case study breaks down exactly how we achieved it.

Client Background & Knowledge Graph Goals

The Client: Meridian Analytics, a Series B data visualization platform serving enterprise clients. Founded in 2021, they had grown to 85 employees and $12M ARR by the time they engaged us.

The Challenge: Despite their market success, searching "Meridian Analytics" on Google returned only their website and a few press mentions. No Knowledge Panel. No entity recognition. Their CEO had stronger personal brand presence than the company itself.

Why It Mattered: Meridian was preparing for Series C fundraising and potential acquisition conversations. Investors and partners routinely research companies through branded searches. The absence of a Knowledge Panel signaled to these audiences that Meridian might be less established than competitors who had them.

The Goals:

Achieve a Google Knowledge Panel for branded searches within 6 months
Establish the company as a recognized entity in Google's Knowledge Graph
Connect leadership team members to the company entity
Improve brand credibility signals for investor due diligence

The timeline was aggressive. Most Knowledge Panel campaigns take 9-12 months. We committed to an accelerated approach.

Initial Audit: Why They Didn't Have a Knowledge Panel

Before building strategy, we needed to understand why Google hadn't recognized Meridian as an entity. Our audit revealed several critical gaps:

Entity Signal Deficiencies:

No Wikipedia page or Wikidata entry
Company not listed on Crunchbase with complete profile
LinkedIn company page existed but lacked structured information
No mentions in authoritative business databases (Bloomberg, Reuters, PitchBook)
Schema markup on website was generic—no Organization schema implemented

Content & Authority Issues:

Press coverage existed but was fragmented across small publications
No consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across web properties
Founder profiles didn't clearly connect to the company entity
About page lacked the structured information Google needs for entity extraction

Technical Gaps:

Website had no JSON-LD structured data for Organization
Social profiles weren't properly linked via sameAs properties
No official brand assets (logo, images) with consistent metadata

The diagnosis was clear: Meridian existed as a business but not as an entity in Google's understanding. They needed 30+ meaningful "touchpoints" across authoritative sources to become what Google considers a notable entity.

Strategy: Entity Building & Authority Signals

Based on our audit, we developed a three-phase strategy focused on building entity recognition through authoritative signals.

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4) Establish consistent entity information across owned properties and claim profiles on authoritative platforms.

Implement comprehensive Organization schema on website
Complete and optimize LinkedIn company page with full structured data
Create/claim profiles on Crunchbase, PitchBook, and industry databases
Ensure NAP consistency across all web properties
Optimize Google Business Profile (even for SaaS companies, this signals legitimacy)

Phase 2: Authority Building (Weeks 5-12) Generate third-party validation through earned media and authoritative mentions.

Secure coverage in industry publications (not press releases—actual editorial coverage)
Pursue inclusion in industry reports and analyst coverage
Build executive thought leadership with bylined articles
Target mentions in roundup articles and "best of" lists
Develop relationships with industry analysts for inclusion in research

Phase 3: Entity Consolidation (Weeks 13-24) Connect all signals and pursue Wikipedia/Wikidata recognition.

Create Wikipedia article following notability guidelines
Submit Wikidata entry with structured entity relationships
Ensure all authoritative sources link back consistently
Monitor Knowledge Panel appearance and optimize presentation
Connect leadership entities to company entity

The key insight: Google's Knowledge Graph relies on corroboration. One mention doesn't establish an entity. Thirty consistent mentions across authoritative sources do.

Implementation Timeline: What We Did Each Month

Month 1: Technical Foundation

Week 1-2:

Implemented JSON-LD Organization schema with complete properties (name, logo, founders, foundingDate, numberOfEmployees, address, sameAs links)
Added Person schema for CEO and CTO with organizational connections
Fixed NAP inconsistencies across 12 web properties

Week 3-4:

Created comprehensive Crunchbase profile with funding history, team, and technology stack
Claimed and optimized PitchBook listing
Updated LinkedIn company page with complete structured information
Registered Google Business Profile with verified address

Month 2: Earned Media Campaign

Secured coverage in TechCrunch about their latest product feature (not a press release—a genuine news story)
CEO published bylined article in Harvard Business Review online
Company featured in Gartner's emerging vendors report
Three podcast appearances for leadership team
Guest post on industry blog with company mention

Month 3: Authority Expansion

Reuters brief on their Series B extension
Featured in "Top 50 Data Visualization Tools" roundup
CTO quoted as expert source in Bloomberg technology article
Industry analyst published positive review
Webinar partnership with established industry organization

Month 4: Wikipedia Preparation

Drafted Wikipedia article following strict notability guidelines
Gathered 15+ independent reliable sources (required for notability)
Created Wikidata entry with structured entity data
Submitted Wikipedia draft for review (this is where many campaigns stall—we had sufficient sources to pass review)

Month 5: Entity Consolidation

Wikipedia article approved and published
Updated all profiles to reference Wikipedia entry
Schema markup updated with Wikipedia/Wikidata identifiers
Monitored Google's entity recognition through Search Console
Knowledge Panel first appeared mid-month (partial)

Month 6: Optimization

Full Knowledge Panel displaying consistently
Claimed Knowledge Panel through Google's verification process
Suggested edits for accuracy (logo, description, social links)
Connected CEO's Knowledge Panel to company entity
Documented results and created ongoing maintenance plan

Results: Knowledge Panel Achievement & Impact

Primary Goal Achieved: Full Knowledge Panel displaying for "Meridian Analytics" and related branded queries by Month 5, fully optimized by Month 6.

Knowledge Panel Contents:

Company name, logo, and description
Founding date and headquarters location
CEO and leadership information
Social media profile links
Stock ticker placeholder (showing Google recognizes them as investment-relevant entity)
"People also search for" showing competitor context

Entity Recognition Metrics:

Google Entity ID assigned and trackable
Wikidata QID established (Q########)
Entity appearing in Google's Knowledge Graph API responses
Brand name triggering entity-based search features

Verification Status: Successfully claimed Knowledge Panel, allowing direct control over logo, social links, and the ability to suggest corrections.

Traffic & Visibility Gains from Knowledge Panel

Beyond the Knowledge Panel itself, the entity-building work created measurable organic improvements:

Branded Search Performance:

Branded search CTR increased 34% (Knowledge Panel occupies prominent SERP real estate)
Branded search impressions grew 28% (entity recognition improves query matching)
Average position for branded terms improved from 1.2 to 1.0 (consistent #1)

Non-Branded Organic Impact:

Overall organic traffic increased 47% over 6 months
Domain Authority improved from 45 to 52 (authority signals benefit overall SEO)
Referring domains grew from 890 to 1,340 (earned media campaign drove links)

Business Impact:

Investor due diligence mentions improved brand perception
Sales team reported shorter trust-building cycles with enterprise prospects
Recruitment metrics improved (candidates research companies before applying)
Series C conversations progressed faster due to established credibility signals

Cost Per Result: Total campaign investment was approximately $45,000 over 6 months (agency fees plus earned media costs). Given the fundraising context and enterprise sales impact, client calculated 15x ROI within the first year post-Knowledge Panel.

Long-Term Entity Benefits: Six months after Knowledge Panel establishment, Meridian continued seeing compounding benefits. Their entity now appears in Google's "People also search for" results when users search for competitors. AI-powered search tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT began citing Meridian in responses about data visualization platforms—a direct result of their Knowledge Graph presence. The entity foundation we built serves as permanent infrastructure for all future SEO efforts.

Lessons Learned & What We'd Do Differently

What Worked Exceptionally Well:

Starting with schema before outreach: Having proper technical foundation meant every new mention immediately contributed to entity signals. Companies that skip schema see slower Knowledge Panel timelines.
Focusing on genuine editorial coverage: Press releases don't move the needle. The TechCrunch feature and HBR byline were worth more than 50 press release placements.
Preparing Wikipedia thoroughly: Our article passed review on first submission because we over-documented sources. Many campaigns fail here by submitting prematurely.
Connecting founder entities: The CEO already had some entity recognition. Linking his entity to the company entity accelerated overall recognition.

What We'd Do Differently:

Start Crunchbase earlier: We underestimated how much Google relies on Crunchbase for B2B company entity data. Making this a Week 1 priority would have accelerated results.
Build analyst relationships sooner: Industry analyst coverage carries significant weight. Starting these relationships in Month 1 instead of Month 3 could have compressed the timeline.
Document the baseline more rigorously: We had good before/after metrics but wish we'd tracked entity recognition signals more granularly throughout.
Create Wikidata before Wikipedia: The Wikidata entry can exist without Wikipedia and provides entity signals immediately. We waited too long to submit it.

How to Apply This Strategy to Your Brand

Not every company needs a Knowledge Panel, but if you're pursuing one, here's the framework:

Assess Your Readiness:

Do you have 10+ independent reliable sources covering your company?
Can you demonstrate notability beyond just existing as a business?
Do you have budget for 6-12 months of sustained effort?

If yes to all three, you're a candidate.

Minimum Viable Entity Strategy:

Week 1: Implement Organization schema with complete properties
Week 2: Claim/complete Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and Google Business Profile
Weeks 3-8: Pursue 3-5 pieces of genuine editorial coverage
Weeks 9-12: Create Wikidata entry; prepare Wikipedia draft
Weeks 13-20: Submit Wikipedia; monitor for Knowledge Panel appearance
Weeks 21-24: Claim and optimize Knowledge Panel

Budget Expectations:

DIY approach: 20-40 hours internal effort over 6 months
Agency support: $5,000-$15,000/month depending on earned media needs
Hybrid approach: $2,500-$5,000/month for strategy plus internal execution

Timeline Expectations:

Minimum viable: 6 months for well-positioned companies
Average: 9-12 months for typical B2B companies
Challenging cases: 12-18 months for companies with limited existing coverage

Warning Signs This Won't Work:

No genuine news coverage exists or is achievable
Company isn't notable by Wikipedia standards
Leadership unwilling to participate in thought leadership
No budget for sustained effort

Measuring Progress Along the Way: Don't wait until Month 6 to assess results. Track these leading indicators: Google Search Console showing your brand as a "topic" in search analytics, your company appearing in Google's autocomplete suggestions, third-party tools detecting your Wikidata entry, and increased branded search volume indicating entity awareness.

The Knowledge Graph represents how Google understands the world. Getting your brand recognized as an entity—not just a website—fundamentally changes how you appear in search. For Meridian Analytics, that change translated directly into business results.

Your brand's Knowledge Graph presence starts with understanding that Google needs to see you as an entity first and a website second. The strategy outlined here makes that happen systematically.

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Matt Pru